"MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace was roasted this week after referring to herself as a 'Fauci groupie,' in reference to her adoration of White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci."

A far-right Canadian man sent a direct message to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) on Instagram and said he should be shot. So, to bring the man to justice, Swalwell tweeted for his followers’ help identifying him. In an eight-tweet thread Thursday, Swalwell shared screenshots of his conversation with the man, in which the user apologized to Swalwell once the congressman began to inquire about him (“to share it with law enforcement”) and said he didn’t mean what he’d said. The user—who shared his Instagram handle, name, job, and city, all of which Swalwell published—pointed to outlets like Fox News’ coverage of Swalwell’s relationship with a suspected Chinese spy as clouding his judgment. Swalwell said the exchange demonstrated Fox News’—in particular, Tucker Carlson’s—potential for worldwide brainwashing. “The lies from Tucker and others are radicalizing people across not just America but the world,” Swalwell wrote. “The lies are inspiring people to make threats of violence against lawmakers. Tucker & Co. know this. And that’s why they tell their lies. They want to incite the mob.”

• “The Education of Dan Quayle”

• “Cheney Ever More Powerful As Crucial Link to Congress”

• “Speaking Freely, Biden Finds Influential Role”

• “Amid White House Tumult, Pence Offers Trump a Steady Hand”

The number of 911 calls for fever and cough in New York City has nearly doubled since the start of December—and the city’s emergency medical services is facing a massive staffing shortfall. The city had 767 911 calls related to the COVID-19 symptoms on Sunday, nearly double November’s roughly 400 calls. Meanwhile, 30 percent of the city’s 4,400 EMS workers were out sick Wednesday, an FDNY spokesman told Gothamist. “Our resources are impacted right now because of this, and we’re trying to make sure we prioritize those resources for folks who are really in a bad way and need our help,” spokesman Frank Dwyer said. “If it’s not a true emergency, please don’t call 911.” Vincent Variele, the head of the FDNY’s EMS union, reiterated the stress the Omicron variant has placed on the workforce. “It’s taking a toll on them,” Variele said. “They’re drained and burnt out.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t held any public briefings on COVID-19 since Dec. 17, and one mayor has had enough. “We have not received any assistance from the state of Florida at our testing sites,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who oversees Orlando, at a Tuesday press conference. “Our residents, all Florida residents, should be outraged and they should ask the question, ‘Where is our state? Where is our governor? Where is Ron DeSantis now?’ When is the last time you saw the governor do a press briefing on COVID-19?” Florida has begun setting new daily records for COVID-19 cases again, counting more than 32,000 on Christmas Day. Demings announced the opening of a third county-run testing site to meet the overwhelming need, but the mayor’s local health official said it won’t meet demand. “If we opened five sites, the five sites would be full and have two-hour waiting times,” Dr. Raul Pino said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Please bear with the thread, but Harry Reid meant a lot to me and I want to share a short story about why. In 2002, I was press secretary for Senator Paul Wellstone’s re-election campaign in Minnesota.

On Oct 25, 2002, Paul, his wife Sheila, daughter Marcia, my colleagues Tom, Mary and Will, and two pilots were killed in a plane crash. Harry Reid was one of the first of Paul’s colleagues to fly in. Still in shock, I spent all day taking him around to events and sorting politics.

At the end of the day, I took him back to the airport. I was driving Will’s car. The same big black SUV that Will drove Paul and me in to most campaign events.

Someone must have told Reid that Will was my boyfriend. And that at one point in the schedule, I was meant to be on the plane with Paul. It was a fluke I wasn’t that day.

When we went to say goodbye, he asked if he could speak to me alone. He then walked me out to his private plane - a casino jet they had chartered- and asked me to come sit inside with him.

I hesitated. He said: I know what you lost and I know whose car you drove today. And I don’t want you to be afraid to get on a plane for the rest of your life. So let’s just go sit together for a little while.

And so we got on the plane and had a cup of coffee. We shared stories about Paul - how brave he was voting against the war in Iraq. He showed me the fancy gadgets on the plane, crazy to him, having grown up so poor. And I told him about Will, and our plan to move back to DC.

He said he knew I had lost my home and my job, but I had one with him whenever I was ready. The empathy and emotional fortitude he showed that day has stuck with me always. And it wasn’t just that day; he followed up to reiterate his offer two more times.

When I joined @BarbaraBoxer a few months later he said “she’s the best! But I’m still here if you need me.” I spent 7 years with Boxer, working closely with Reid’s team and Democratic leadership. He always had a joke or a kind word for me.

The night we passed the Affordable Care Act, we were working through an impasse over women’s health services with Reid keeping Senators Boxer and Ben Nelson in different rooms. It was Christmas Eve, snowing and everyone was exhausted.

We had no food and everything was closed: we ate a tin of holiday nuts and cookies sent by constituents and lobbyists. Reid needled Schumer for stealing all the cashews. We tried and failed to light the fireplace. And we finally got a deal as the snow really came down.

Together, with all of us in the room, Reid called President Obama from on speaker- I think it was a flip phone- and said we have a deal and we’re headed to the floor. We cheered and the President thanked us all.

Harry Reid played a defining role in two bookends of my Senate career. He was powerful and strategic, but also wry and soulful. I’m grateful to have known him, for what he gave this country, and for what he gave me sitting together quietly on a plane in Minnesota. RIP.